미국 생명윤리의 경계들과 그 너머*

American bioethicists have established several conceptual boundaries in institutionalizing bioethics into hospitals, academic programs, and the government. Bioethical expertise has been shaped and maintained through such boundary-making practices. This paper examines the following three boundaries of American bioethics: the boundary between bioethics and society, between bioethics and politics, and between scientific knowledge and society. The first boundary designates the view that bioethics is de-contextualized from society, the second boundary results from the view that bioethics should be politically neutral, and the third boundary is built on the dichotomy between scientific knowledge and social values. These boundaries have been both contested and strengthened by American bioethicists. Through the analysis of such boundary-making practices of American bioethics, this paper aims to suggest fruitful lessons concerning the institutionalization of Korean bioethics.